Nintendo 2DS
The Nintendo 2DS is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo. Announced in August 2013, the device was released in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand on October 12, 2013 to coincide with the launch of Pokémon X and Y. The Nintendo 2DS is an entry-level version of the Nintendo 3DS which maintains otherwise identical hardware, similar functionality, and compatibility with software designed for the Nintendo DS and 3DS. However, the 2DS is differentiated by a new slate form factor rather than the clamshell design used by its precursors, its use of a single touchscreen LCD panel instead of two individual panels, and by lacking the Nintendo 3DS's signature autostereoscopic 3D display. The 2DS is sold concurrently with the 3DS and 3DS XL as an incentive to expand the market for Nintendo 3DS games; Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aime, stated that the 2DS was primarily targeted towards younger players (such as those younger than age 7), whom they had previously advised not to use the 3D functionality on the 3DS due to potential eye health concerns. Reception to the Nintendo 2DS has been mixed; while Nintendo was praised for how it priced and positioned the 2DS alongside its higher-end counterparts, much of its criticism was directed towards its regressions in comparison to the 3DS, such as a design considered less appealing than that of the 3DS, its lower sound quality, and its battery life. However, the 2DS's design was praised by some for being more robust and comfortable to hold than the 3DS, especially for its target market. Some critics also felt that the lack of 3D support was an admission by Nintendo that the concept was a fad; however, Nintendo has since stated that autostereoscopic 3D would remain a part of their future plans. Hardware The Nintendo 2DS's hardware specifications are almost identical to those of the Nintendo 3DS; retaining features such as its GPU, CPU and memory, along with compatibility with games designed for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS. However, its hardware still contains some slight differences. Unlike the Nintendo 3DS, which uses two display panels, with a lower touchscreen panel and a top dual-layered screen panel capable of displaying autostereoscopic stereoscopichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereoscopy3D, the Nintendo 2DS uses a single, non-stereoscopic LCD touchscreen, which is overlaid with a frame mimicking the screen dimensions of the 3DS. Despite its inability to display 3D content, the 2DS retains the 3DS's dual cameras for taking photographs in a 3D format. The Nintendo 2DS only has an internal mono speaker, as opposed to the internal stereo speakers of the 3DS, although stereo sound can still be output through the headphone jack. The Nintendo 2DS's design is a significant departure from that of its precursors; while it is roughly the same size as its counterpart, the 2DS uses a "slate-like" form factor instead of the clamshell form used by the DS and 3DS. Its buttons are positioned towards the center of the device instead of near the lower screen, and its shoulder buttons are concave in shape and relatively thicker than those of the 3DS. The 2DS uses a switch for entering sleep mode in lieu of closing the shell, and the hardware wireless switch was replaced by a software toggle. The Nintendo 2DS contains the same 1300mAh battery present on regular Nintendo 3DS systems. Despite not supporting the 3DS's automatic brightness setting ("Power Save Mode"), the 2DS was rated by Nintendo as having slightly longer battery life than the 3DS; Nintendo rated the 2DS as being able to play from 3 to 5.5 hours of 3DS games or 5 to 9 hours of DS games on a single charge.